Cord Is Also a Measure of Firewood
A cord is a thin rope. In North America the same word measures a stacked pile of wood.
A cord is a length of thin flexible rope or an insulated electrical lead. In North America it is also a unit of firewood: a stack four feet high, four feet wide and eight feet long, or 128 cubic feet. The name is literal — wood was measured by binding a cord around the stack. Anatomy borrowed the word too, in *spinal cord* and *vocal cords*, for structures shaped like rope.
- Thin rope. *A length of cord.*
- An electrical lead. *A power cord.*
- A firewood measure. *A cord of wood.*
- Vocal cords. *Vocal cords.*
- Greek — *khorde*, a gut string. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | cord | A cord. |
| Plural | cords | Cords. |
| Adjective | corded | Corded. |
| Compound | corduroy | Corduroy. |
| Greek | khorde | A gut string. |
- Tie it with a strong cord.Rope.
- They bought two cords of wood.Measure.
- He strained his vocal cords.Anatomy.
The khorde family
- Cord — a length of rope
- Chord — a group of notes, from the same string
- Cordial — unrelated, from Latin *cor*, a heart
- Harpsichord — a stringed keyboard instrument
- Notochord — the rod-like structure defining chordate animals
Old French *corde*, from Latin *chorda*, from Greek *khorde*, a string of gut.
How big is a cord of wood?
128 cubic feet, traditionally a stack four feet high, four feet wide and eight feet long.
Why is a firewood measure called a cord?
Because a cord was tied around the stack to measure it, and the name transferred to the quantity.